The problem with fat cats and dogs

With pet obesity on the rise, overweight cats and dogs are no laughing matter

By Jeff Schnaufer

Did you hear the one about the dog that ate so much she passed out under the table? Or the terrier so fat he hurt himself jumping off the bed?

It happened. And it’s no joke.

Pet obesity has risen to epidemic proportions in this country, prompting alarms among veterinary experts who say pet owners must modify their animals’ behavior — and their own.

Pet obesity continues to surge upward, says Dr. Ernie Ward Jr., founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), which estimates that in 2016, 54 percent of U.S. dogs and 59 percent of cats were overweight or obese.

Dr. Jim Moebius, owner of Murphy Road Animal Hospital explained, “Our pets are mammals just like we are, so many of the risk factors that we face being overweight, they will share with us.”

According to Moebius, for a 50 lb. dog that is 10 pounds overweight, carrying that much weight around every day really takes it toll.